Pan left, Fire entered (Andrea Ch.2)

-- An exercise in futility --

Another agonizing couple of minutes passed before either Andrea or Vicky were ready to leave the room. Andrea had mostly air dried by now and Vicky was putting on the most unconvincing of brave faces anyone had ever seen.

"There's probably not that many people still here," Andrea said, her arms still gripped firmly over her body. "You can just run up to the front desk and ask for help."

"ME? Like hell!" Vicky immediately rejected the idea. Her face only getting redder at the mere thought of it.

"I'm not fixing the mess YOU made!" said Andrea

"And I refuse to let you get out of this and leaving me looking like the idiot. I am done letting you push me around!" Vicky's voice was getting more frantic.

"I'm not like that anymore!"

"Prove it! Be the bigger person and fix this then."

"I'm not running in the middle of the building naked!"

This was solving nothing. the only compromise that made any sense was that they needed to leave together. They knew this, and once their stubbornness faded they reluctantly agreed to step out on the count of three.

"Three!" they said, forcing themselves out into the open. Only now they could actually see the layout of the gym again. What's worse, they could see there were more people still hanging around then they initially hoped. Luckily they weren't spotted yet. They were still towards the back and had one last wall they could hide behind. Taking position they saw at least a dozen people scattered around. All of them focused on their workouts or busy at the front desk.

"Well asking for help up there isn't happening." Andrea sighed.

"So what now? We run straight for the main entrance? That still means being exposed to every person on the way!" Vicky kept her voice hushed, but it was still shaking.

Andrea scanned the place again, there was plenty of equipment to hide behind but none of it large enough to completely conceal their bodies. What she did notice now that she hadn't before, was the gym had a back door that blended in with the wall. The building wasn't that large, so this likely led outdoors.

"That door over there." Andrea quietly pointed towards it.

Vicky knew what she was thinking. "Yeah we wouldn't have to run past anyone, but-" her arms were restless. There was no point finishing that thought.

Both of them had little desire to drag this out any longer. They'd take their chances there if it meant sneaking out of the building unseen at least. It was at most a 6 second window running there hoping nobody looked that direction. And there was no knowing when the best time for that was. They could only hope for the best.

This was a bigger leap than stepping out of the locker room. They could spend another few minutes steeling themselves but it would never be enough. They had to willfully put themselves into view, completely naked. Both of them cautiously shifting their arms and hands to keep the bare minimum of modesty.

"Go!" They bolted toward the door, neither wanted to look over and see if they were spotted. They sprinted with their eyes focused on the objective. In a few moments they'd be out the door and-

BUZZZ! A blaring alarm assaulted their ears the moment the door cracked open. This wasn't just a back exit, it was a fire exit.

The two girls weren't the only ones to shriek in surprise at the sudden noise. In an instant the entire building looked over to see what just happened. Only two see two girls caught up in the shock standing by the door. Their hands over their ears. And their bare bodies exposed to anyone looking.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" A member of the gym staff exploded, demanding an explanation.

Andrea and Vicky collected themselves enough to process what just happened, the most important part being that they were standing in front of everyone in the gym nude and uncovered.

"AHHHHH!" the two screamed in tandem as their arms flung over themselves for cover. This couldn't be happening. They needed to keep moving. Before they got in even more trouble they gathered the strength to burst through the door this time without stopping. The alarm still blaring as they sprinted across the street. Praying they weren't followed.

-- The best idea ever --

They didn't get far before settling in an alley. Both of them winded from running that fast and burning hot from the realization they were already seen. The only saving grace was that they didn't see anyone around that followed them.

Andrea was the first to speak up, her voice ragged and her face sweating. "That was a disaster! Everyone there saw me! They saw everything!"

Vicky only squeezed her eyes shut and collapsed into a crouching position again. Trying to belatedly hide her nudity from everyone that saw her back there. She was at a loss for words for at least a minute while she sat there like a ball of shame. Not even listening to Andrea's hysterics.

After another minute, and cussing up a storm, Vicky looked up at the building on the one side of the alley. There was some method in the madness of their humiliating dash out that door. This was the hotel Vicky was staying at while she was in town. She was at least closer to safety now.

Andrea was still reeling and in her own ball of shame now, burying her red face in her knees while she sat on the side of the wall. Trying not to think about how dirty this alley was for her naked skin. She didn't notice at first when Vicky was up and reaching for something.

"So close..." Vicky muttered under her breath, coupled with straining noises. Her hands grasping for a metal ladder.

"Are you trying to climb up that fire escape?!" Andrea spat out in disbelief. Her wits finally returned. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"This is the hotel I'm staying at!" Victoria explained. "And once I climb up to the top floor," Vicky pulled herself up onto the metal bars. "I slip through the window, home free!"

"You're an even bigger idiot than I ever thought! Do you ever think ANYTHING through?!" Andrea was staring up at her, trying not to glance any specific parts. It wasn't enough Vicky's dumb idea got them both into this mess, but now she thinks climbing a fire escape and breaking and entering is a good plan? Andrea was beside herself.

Admittedly once Vicky get her footing she was had little trouble going up. Stopping only occasionally to be sure she didn't expose herself in front of any windows with people behind them, she was wasn't far from her floor.

"Sorry Andrea but you're going to be stuck naked on the street and I'm going to be back in the safety of my room soon!" Vicky shouted down.

"You're going to hurt yourself! Just get back down here and we'll think of literally any other plan!" Andrea shouted back.

"I'm fine! This height isn't even f-fatal..." Vicky's voice trailed off and stuttered a bit when she made the mistake of looking down.

"I heard that! You're terrified!" Andrea responded, "I'm coming up there to get you!"

Andrea summoned her strength to jump up onto the ladder of the fire escape. She pulled herself up and got a bare foot onto the bottom rung. Maybe should could get up there and talk her out of this. Maybe she could still make things right.

She quickly made her way up the flights of steps and closed in on Vicky, who was still gathering herself for the final climb. By the time Andrea made her way up though the fire escape creaked for just a second. Silence filled the air the next second. Followed by-

Clink!

The fire escape was older and not as stable as it should have been. What followed was a single foot drop while it barely hung on. This cause both girls to let out a horrified shriek before it settled into a slanted stance. Any attempt to keep climbing was foolish. Andrea and Vicky were sweating bullets. It's true they weren't high enough for anything serious, but the fall back down would still hurt if they landed wrong.

Another dead silence filled the next few seconds. Both girls hugging their bare bodies against the metal bars before Andrea finally spoke up.

"Are you okay?" Andrea's voiced trembled.

"Y-Yeah i'm okay." Vicky voice back to a stutter.

There didn't seem to be any more signs of instability but neither of them wanted to risk it. For the moment the two of them were stuck there. Two naked girls gently resting on a crooked fire escape waiting for whatever came next.

It wasn't quiet for long though. A crowd was gathering.